BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Fatah official Nabil Shaath said Friday that political reconciliation is a Palestinian issue, not just an internal issue concerning the factions involved.

Shaath made the comments during a Ramadan event organized by Fatah in Bethlehem, Ma'an's correspondent said.

Reconciliation must be protected from the opposing interests of different political parties, Shaath said, adding that Fatah will continue to work with Hamas to end the split.

The Ramadan event included traditional Dabke dancing and songs.

The factions signed an Egyptian-brokered reconciliation agreement in May 2011 to end four years of divided governments in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, but its implementation has repeatedly broken down.